Jury told DNA of accused man was found near gun

THE jury in the Greg Crawford murder trial has heard that DNA recovered near where the murder weapon was found most likely belonged to the accused man.

THE jury in the Greg Crawford murder trial has heard that DNA recovered near where the murder weapon was found most likely belonged to the accused man.

r Crawford, 23, of St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park has pleaded guilty to murdering Gareth Brosnan-Grant near his home more than three years ago.

The 25-year-old father-of-three died after he was shot in the chest outside his home at St Ita’s Street, Saint Mary’s Park on October 8, 2007.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court, which is sitting in Limerick, has been told the gun used to shoot Mr Brosnan-Grant was discovered hidden under a beer bottle in the back garden of Mr Crawford’s grandparent’s home the day after the shooting.

This Thursday, Ballastics expert, Detective Garda Mark Collender said he carried out a comparison between test fired bullets and cartridge cases from the Ithacca handgun and a .45inch calibre bullet taken from Mr Grant’s chest.

He told the court that after examining the two bullets under a special microscope he concluded that they had been discharged from the same firearm.

On Wednesday the trial was told that a sample of DNA was recovered from a brown knitted glove, which was found near where the pistol was discovered,

Forensic Scientist Michael Burlington who analysed the sample said 19 of the 20 markers matched Mr Crawford’s DNA and he told the court there a “one in a billion” chance that the sample from the glove belonged to anyone other than a relation of Greg Grawford.

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